1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the formation of heavy cardboard-type products and equipment therefor and, specifically, to apparatus and method for forming bolsters for use in winding lengths of fabric.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bolsters used as cores for the winding of fabric materials have wide application in the production and storing of fabrics. Because the quantity of the bolsters required by the industry is very great, the cost associated with the production of bolsters and the ease with which they are made is an important factor in the economics of the industry. Many different types of bolsters have been produced, often with the use of complex, intricate and expensive machinery which is subject to breakdown or poor performance because of minor adjustment requirements. Further, these machines often require highly specialized, custom-fabricated raw materials to be used in the manufacturing of bolsters.
Also, the fabrication process of the machine is often a lengthy, intricate process in which the dimensions of the material used must be critically controlled and are subject to variations which disable the manufacturing process or render the manufacturing process inoperative or unreliable. Further, the bolsters produced are often less than satisfactory because of variations in their dimension, and because they cannot be made by a rapid manufacturing process with sufficient rigidity to provide extended service life necessary for economical use. Additionally, bolsters often must be produced in standard stock sizes to accommodate the limitations of the complex machinery which produces them.